Thursday, January 26, 2012

Touring the City: Unexpected Bonus!

Didn't mean ta disappear on y'all like that. Life is always full of unexpectedness, ya know? The photo above is evidence of why I believe it's important to carry on like a tourist in our own stomping grounds. (i.e. consciously appreciating all that wherever-we-are has to offer, viewing our surroundings with the same kind of awe we have when touring foreign towns, noticing the sparklies, and all that jazz).

There I was . . . just a small-town girl . . . livin' in a lonely world . . . heading to the 5:22 BART train that would take me back to the East Bay (you had to sing that last part super fast to make it sync with the original notes). Many thanks for indulging my Journey detour. (Wish I could promise that it won't happen again. I cannot.) Um, what was I going to tell you? Oh yeah! I was finished with my City Touring, and walking down Columbus toward the Montgomery BART station, when I hit a red light at Broadway. So I look up and around, like a good, observant tourist does. And what should I see on the Southeast corner? No, not the naked ladies enticing me to come into the Garden of Eden. Higher. Yes! Up there, beyond the tree that looks like an ambitious chia pet. See that black stencil and red lettering? That, my friends, is a Banksy. I happened upon a Banksy while ambling through North Beach. (You may recall that I am a fan of street art. I've mentioned it two or threetimes.)

I remember when Banksy made his mark in San Francisco in 2010, around the time Exit Through the Gift Shop hit theaters. But, for some reason, I never made the pilgrimage across the Bay to see his work in person (I think I thought they'd all be promptly removed, defaced, or stolen). And I questioned whether what I saw on Columbus and Broadway was actually "a Banksy" because I only remember hearing about the ones in Chinatown, the Mission, and a few others; I hadn't heard of one in North Beach. Sure enough, though, there are a few "Lost Banksy's of San Francisco".

Truth is, my favorite moments during my "tour" of San Francisco-y spots were the unexpected ones. Inadvertently seeing that Bansky? Was like a surprise party for my eyes. And my heart had a grand time dancing at that party. Such a moment underscores how important it is to get out there for mini-adventuring. We must invite the opportunity to see the sparkly things around us. And, I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you—if all the glittery things are eluding your vision, make your own magic. There are plenty of ways to do so, including ones you've yet to imagine.